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Nolan introduces Bill to Address Educational Disadvantage

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Skills Carol Nolan
TD has, this week, introduced a bill to re-establish the Educational Disadvantage
Committee on a statutory footing under the Education Act 1998.

While introducing the Bill on Thursday, Teachta Nolan said:

“The purpose of this committee is to advise the Minister for
Education and Skills of the policies and strategies to be adopted in order to
identify and correct educational disadvantage.

“This Committee was in office from the years 2003 to 2006.

“The work of the Committee fed directly into the
establishment of the DEIS scheme, which has had a huge impact in our schools in
addressing educational disadvantage.

“It is my view that the Committee represented significant
value for money, costing in total €175,000 over the three years it was in
office and its abolition was a mistake.

“As we know, the consistent child poverty rates in Ireland
have risen from 6.3% in 2008 to 11.5% in 2015, according to figures from the
European Anti- Poverty Network.

“We also know that the overall funding for DEIS has fallen
by almost €20 million from €193 million in 2008 to €174 million in 2015 at a
time when child poverty rates were increasing.

“Unfortunately, we are also aware that particular policy
decisions have had a disproportionate effect on disadvantaged children and have
increased educational disadvantage, for example cuts to guidance counselling
provision, cuts to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, and cuts
to educational services for traveller children to name just a few.

“Particular groups such as asylum seekers, children in lone
parent households, traveller children and, in recent years and to our great
shame, homeless children are at particular risk of educational disadvantage.

“I believe that the establishment of this
Committee on a statutory footing would be a timely initiative and would send
out a clear message that this house takes the issue of educational disadvantage
seriously and is determined to address it.”